tic interest. Our narrative, however,
albeit it relates to the Ladies of Llangollen, refers not to whispered
vows and moonlight serenades between gallant chiefs and damsels of noble
birth; nor to sentimental tales of love in a cottage; but it is rather
devoted to the records of a friendship, whose incidents and
eccentricities have engaged the attention of many eminent _literati_ and
tourists. Most persons who take any interest in the scenery or
topography of North Wales, have either seen or read of that singular
residence, Plas Newydd, at Llangollen, for so many years the home of Lady
Eleanor Butler and Miss Ponsonby.

About the year 1778, these ladies, impelled by a desire to lead a
secluded life of celibacy, forsook the gay and fashionable circles in
which they had moved; and in their search for a fitting spot, on which to
pass their days together in devoted friendship to each other, and in acts
of benevolence and charity to their neighbours, they visited Llangollen.
Rambling along this charming locality one balmy evening, when the
tranquil beauty of the lovely valley was lighted up by the mild splendour
of the moon, their eyes rested upon a cottage that stood on a gentle
eminence near the village; and there they resolved to fix their abode.
They accordingly purchased the estate; built a new cottage on the site of
the old one, in a remarkably unique and somewhat grotesque style of
architecture; and laid out gardens, pleasure grounds, and rural walks
with grottoes, temples, conservatories, rustic bridges, and other
accessories for enjoying, in the undisturbed quiet of their own domain,
the natural charms of their picturesque retreat. Their mode of life
being singular, and their costume still more so (for they assumed a style
of head-dress resembling that of men, and always wore long cloth coats,
rather like ladies' riding habits), they soon attracted the attention of
the many travellers who passed through North Wales; and as they kept up
an extensive and active correspondence with several eminent authors and
persons of distinction, the "Ladies of Llangollen," for so they were
always designated, made a much greater sensation in their seclusion, than
many less remarkable persons who are constantly living in the business
and bustle of society. Hence many literary pilgrimages were made to the
recluses of Plas Newydd; and the "even tenor" of their way was often
diversified by the calls of the illustrious, the learned, an